Mary Margaret Schwerzmann

A funeral Mass will be said 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31, at Holy Family Church with Father Steven Murray, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Brookside Cemetery. Calling Hours will be 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Cleveland Funeral Home, Watertown. 

July 27, 2010

WATERTOWN, N.Y.  —  Mary Margaret Schwerzmann, 92, died early Tuesday morning at her home in Watertown under the care of her family and Hospice of Jefferson County.  

She was born May 22, 1918, in Syracuse, the daughter of Watertown natives C. Frances Phippen Pappa and Raymond Byrne Pappa.  Mr. Pappa at that time was manager of the central NY Direct-to-You Tea Company. The family returned to Watertown in 1918.

She graduated from Watertown High School in 1935 and from Albany State College for Teachers in 1939, after which she did graduate studies at Columbia University and at St. Lawrence University, receiving her master’s degree in 1948. She taught English and history at Sackets Harbor High School from 1940 to 1945, and then at Watertown High school until June 1951.

On Jan. 27, 1951 she married Richard F. Schwerzmann, who later became a principal shareholder in the Schwerzmann and Wise, P.C. law firm. Mr. Schwerzmann was listed in 2002 as a distinguished alumnus of Watertown High School. He died May 29, 2000.

Mrs. Schwerzmann was a volunteer at the genealogy department at the Flower Memorial Library for 25 years, a member of Four River Valleys Historical Society for many years, a Red Cross blood bank worker, member of House of the Good Samaritan Auxiliary, a friend of the Flower Memorial Library in their book sales, and active in Community Chest and March of Dimes for many years. 

She enjoyed genealogy, crossword puzzles, and reading.

Surviving are a son, Peter A. Schwerzmann, Surrogate Judge of Jefferson County and his wife, Amy; a daughter, Julie S. Gilbane, Rumford R.I.; a daughter-in-law, Ghita Schwerzmann, widow of a second son, Gary R. Schwerzmann, who died in 2007; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Donald (Jane) Hindes of Columbus, OH, and Mrs. Melvin (Patricia) Bano of Liverpool, N.Y.; and many nieces and nephews.    

A brother, John W.  Pappa, died in 1975.

She was a communicant of Holy Family Church.  

Donations may be made to Holy Family Church and Hospice of Jefferson County.